A Wedding to Remember
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: "Every time someone says that it could be worse, it'll get worse." Rose and the Doctor are finally getting married, but nothing ever goes right. Includes Jack, Jackie, and a few surprise guests. Can be a stand-alone fic, but it is the sequel to Partial to your Abracadabra. 10/Rose. Assumes Army of Ghosts/Doomsday didn't happen.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter one: Plans**_

"So, let's talk about picking the date. How about…Christmas Eve of this year?"

"Blimey, that's a bad idea," he grumbled as he glanced up from the console. "Have you noticed what happens in London around the holidays?"

Rose glared over the edge of her notebook as she sat on the seat behind him. "But Christmas Eve is when you became this Doctor. I don't want a wedding on some random day. It should have meaning."

"But that's the point of a wedding, Rose. An average day _becomes_ a day with meaning."

She huffed. "I'm not going to flip through a calendar with my eyes closed and point to a date."

"Okay, okay. You don't have to do that."

"You said the planning was up to me, remember? You're rubbish at weddings."

"Well, I did say that. I'm only trying to help. Our wedding should be without any unwarranted excitement. How would you feel if evil aliens came around in the middle of the ceremony?"

"So not the holidays," she responded as she made a note. "Hang on. I have the perfect day!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he fiddled with the screen. "Do you?"

"The fifteenth of September."

He broke out into a grin. "Yes. That's the day."

"I wish he could be here to see it. He didn't even really know me that well," she commented quietly. She thought about her father a lot since the Doctor proposed. He took her to watch Pete's proposal to Jackie right before asking the big question. It only seemed right to get married on her father's birthday, if he were still alive to see it.

"I know," he stated quietly.

She brightened the mood with a big smile. "So, we have the date. I say we get married in London. Maybe a little church near the Powell Estate. We will have money to pay for all of this, right?"

He ran a hand through his hair nervously. Honestly, he hadn't thought of that. "Well, I'm sure we will. I'll think of something. Just plan to your heart's content and we can make it happen."

"I don't think that we need to go too crazy. All the flowers and receptions and that nonsense. We don't even have that big of a guest list. Speaking of people, Mum is going to stand next to me. Who's going to be your best man?"

"Do I need one?"

Her eyes rolled at him. "Yes, Doctor. It'll look unbalanced. Mum would kill me if I told her not to be up there with us. Surely you can think of somebody in the universe."

"I'll work on that."

"Worst case scenario is that you ask Mum's boyfriend."

He smiled. "They're still together? Jackie and Thomas?"

"Yeah. She says it's all going well, although his roving eye sometimes creeps her out a bit."

"That eyeball," the Doctor grimaced. "It just twirled about last time we saw them. I got dizzy!"

She chuckled and kept writing down her ideas. It was still hard to believe that they were engaged after all their time traveling together. He was busy with the TARDIS, humming and dancing about joyfully. Life was falling into place, he figured. Well, other than the TARDIS dramatically tossing around and causing Rose to lose her pen through the floor.

"Doctor?" she inquired as she held on tightly.

"Almost out of power. We'll need to stop somewhere to recharge."

"Are we still heading for Mum's?" she asked hopefully. "I told her that we were dress shopping today."

He shuddered at the thought of the Tyler women trying on dress after dress after dress. Now, he had an excuse to leave. "Absolutely. You go shop with your mother and I'll go charge the TARDIS. I'll be back by tonight."

"All right," Rose agreed. "You're not supposed to see the dress before the wedding anyway. It's bad luck."

"And we can't that, can we?" he asked fondly as they came to a stop.

Rose got up and slid her jacket on, briskly moving to stand in front of her Time Lord. "I'll see you tonight, yeah?"

"Oh yes. Well, unless I decide to throw myself a bachelor party and run away with a lovely young woman who pops out of my cake."

She playfully whacked his arm and kissed him deeply. "Sorry, mate. You're stuck with this human forever."

"And ever?" he smirked, embracing her tightly. "Have fun, Rose Tyler. Tell Jackie I say hello."

Slowly, she made her way to the door with a wicked grin. "You mean your mother-in-law?"

He cringed as she cackled, leaving him alone in the TARDIS. Quickly, he hit a few controls and shakily made a trip to Cardiff to power back up. While the ship was repowering, he decided to retrieve the pen that fell through the floor. If that rolled into something, it could cause major damage. While he was down there, he heard a faint screeching noise.

"Doctor! Doctor!"

The door to the TARDIS flew open and he popped his head up to see Captain Jack Harkness, panting and wheezing. With little enthusiasm, he joined Jack by the console. "Jack. It's been awhile."

"It has."

"You look the same. I have to ask, have you had work done?"

Jack snorted. "And what about you? Your face changed."

He smiled. "An improvement, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yeah…quite an improvement…"

"Stop it. Not the time," the Doctor chuckled as he reclined in the seat.

With emphasis, Jack took off his pack and folded his arms. "You deserted me."

"Here it comes…"

"You abandoned me. Left me for dead."

"Well—"

"It's the principal of the thing! Why'd you leave me?"

He sighed. "One, I was very busy. Two, you're just wrong, Jack. So wrong. Nothing is supposed to live forever. You're a fixed point in time and it just hurts looking at you. It's something I can't help. I ran from it. I ran from you. How'd you escape, by the way?"

"I had a little juice left in my vortex manipulator. It sent me back to 1869. I had to go through the decades to get back to here, and I knew I'd run into you eventually at the Rift. See," he removed the vessel containing the Doctor's severed hand. "I have a Doctor detector. Went crazy when you showed up."

"My hand! I wondered what happened to it."

"Yeah, and I wonder what happened to me. I can't die. Kind of figured that one out when people kept using me for target practice and I'd wake up just peachy."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. It was Rose. The time vortex was in her head and she brought you back to life. Only, she couldn't control it. So, you're back forever. She had the best of intentions. She always does."

Jack gestured. "Is she around here?"

"Nope. Shopping with her mother," he smiled, suddenly getting an idea. "Actually, your timing couldn't be more perfect."

That got his attention. "How is that, Doctor?"

"I know that I left you behind and all that, but I really could use your help with something."

"Okay…"

"I'm getting married and I need a best man. Apparently, I have to have one for symmetry. Would you do that? Stand next to me at the altar?"

Jack laughed gleefully and hugged him with all of his might, pulling him from the seat. "You finally got with Rose!"

"Yep. Together at last. How about it? Will you be my best man?"

"Absolutely! When is it?"

"We're marrying on the fifteenth of September of this year. Somewhere near the Powell Estate. I don't have details yet, but I'll get them to you."

He let out a low whistle. "That's only a few months from now! How does it feel giving up the single life?"

"Brilliant. Not that you'll ever know."

"You're a cheeky one," Jack chuckled. "Why don't we go out for drinks? Right now. To celebrate your wedding and our reunion."

"Sounds good as long as you keep your hands to yourself," he warned as he entered a few things into the console.

Jack pouted. "You said that all I had to do was buy you a drink."

"I wasn't committed to Rose Tyler in those days."

He scoffed. "Liar. You totally were."

"You've got me there."

Meanwhile, Rose and Jackie were searching for the perfect wedding dress. They had already looked at close to twelve, and every one had something wrong. Rose stepped in front of a mirror and twirled around while Jackie sat nearby, studying it carefully.

"It's too much like a bell. Tiny top and whoosh! Enormous bottom. It makes you look like you should be dangling from a church tower and not getting married."

"I kind of like it. Classic but not too classic."

Jackie laughed. "What about the veil? Looks like a fishing net fell on your head."

"I can go without the veil."

"Still a bell."

"Mum…" Rose groaned. "The first three made me look like a 'working girl' and the last two made me look like an old woman. Are you ever going to be happy with one?"

"Unlikely, but I'll hate it less. This is your wedding day, Rose. It only happens once. Well, if you're lucky. So you have to make it count. Are you sure that you want to wear white?"

She turned around at that, blushing impressively. "Why not?"

"We both know why not. You used to live at home with me while you were dating Mickey. It's not like I didn't hear anything."

"Mum!"

"I think that pink would look so lovely on you. Or maybe a tan or purple. I've got dresses to match, so we wouldn't have to buy my outfit. Besides, white is expensive. I can't pay for it all, you know!"

Rose was starting to regret bringing her mother along for the ride. "Fine. I'll go look at the pink dresses."

She raided the racks until she found a stunning pale pink getup and rushed away to try it on. It was strapless and the right mix of modern and classic. When she stepped in front of the mirror, she was fairly certain that this was the dress. Jackie was the one paying, so she held her breath in the hopes that her mother would like it. Jackie was quiet. That could either mean good things or bad things. She almost hated to ask.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Rose…" Jackie whispered with tears in her eyes. "That's it. That's the one."

"You think so?"

"Well," she sighed. "I don't like how the waist cuts in and I don't know how I feel about strapless, but it's you. Don't even bother telling me the price. If you want it, that's yours."

A smile spread across her face. "I want this one."

"Oh, my daughter is getting _married_! To an alien in a blue box, but still. A wedding! I'm so excited!" she got up and went to Rose's side in the mirror, messing with her hair. "Up or down?"

She bit her lip thoughtfully. "Down, but maybe pulled back a bit."

"Perfect. If only your father could see you now…"

They fell silent and Rose took her mother's hand reassuringly. "I'd like it if he were here to walk me down the aisle."

"Who is going to do that?" Jackie wondered.

"No one. I'm going alone."

"But that's not tradition. Thomas might do it. He really likes you. Well, granted he only met you once on that double date. He said that he'd like to get to know you better. I know he's not your dad and never will be, but I like him. He says we're serious."

Rose laughed. "And you don't agree?"

"Well, it's hard. No one will ever be Pete. Even if we fought like cats and dogs, he was my soul mate. Just like you and the Doctor. Made for each other. C'mon. Let's get out of here so you can go home to your future husband."

They paid for the dress and put it in Jackie's flat. After tea, they heard the unmistakable sound of the TARDIS outside the window. "Right on time," Rose beamed as they went down to the street below.

She opened the door and the Doctor looked up from the console with his tie around his head, shirt half unbuttoned, and his glasses askew. Under his arm was the vessel containing his severed hand. "Rose! You heard me!"

"What's all this then?" she smirked as she nodded to her mother. "My mother wanted to say hello."

"Jackie!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Hello!"

"Call me Mum," she insisted, cackling at the expression on his face.

They heard a weird sound and the Doctor motioned to the hallway. "That's the horse."

"The what?" Jackie frowned.

"We have a horse," Rose explained. "On our fourth date, he took me to a ranch to ride horses. He became very attached to the one we rode, so I got it for him. It's basically our child. Didn't I mention that?"

"His name is Aladdin," the Doctor continued before Jackie could answer. "Because he's an Arabian horse and it's a brilliant film."

As the sounds of hooves grew nearer, the speckled horse appeared with Jack Harkness on its back. He was mostly undressed and held a drink in his hand. "Rose Tyler!"

"Jack!" she happily exclaimed as she ran to him. "It's been ages!"

He leapt down and they embraced. "You saved my life," he told her with a smile. "Made me immortal. Literally. But that's okay. It's not too bad. And it's a great prank to play on people."

"I what?" Rose asked confusedly.

"When you were Bad Wolf, you brought him back. Couldn't control it. So, you brought him back forever. We've just caught up, me and Jack. Had a celebration!"

The men giggled like school girls and Jack pointed a finger. "He got us thrown out."

"I did not! When you started stripping, they tossed us out."

"No, it was when you started singing and dancing on the bar."

"I sang Elvis, Rose! Just like when we did karaoke!"

Jack mimicked the Elvis hip movements. "He did this on the bar as he was singing!"

They laughed again and Rose put a hand to her face. "Are you both drunk?"

"No," they said in unison.

"Tipsy," Jack assured her with a wink. "You've got a good man, Rose. He wouldn't let me get frisky. He's the only person who has _ever_ turned me down."

"I wouldn't," Jackie commented, causing Rose to glare. She changed the subject. "A horse, really? And what's that under your arm, Doctor? A hand?"

"My hand! Remember on Christmas? Got cut right off. But here it is! We're together again."

Jackie and Rose exchanged looks and Aladdin the horse made a sound. The Doctor set his hand down and clapped Jack on the back. "By the way, Jack is going to be my best man!"

"I am!" he confirmed. "Congratulations on the wedding. It's great news. Can I ride the horse some more before you take me back to Cardiff?"

"Let's ride together!" the Doctor declared as they hopped on the saddle.

Rose stopped them to fix the Doctor's glasses and adjust the tie on his head. "Don't fall off or break the horse's back."

"We'll be fine," the Doctor assured her. "I'm not as tipsy as Jack."

"Hey!" he protested from behind the Doctor.

They galloped away and she turned to her mother with a smile. "I never know what's going to happen next on the TARDIS…"

"Let's just hope your wedding isn't as interesting," Jackie grumbled as she began to walk out the door. "Knowing you lot, something is bound to go wrong."

She was right.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two: Problems**_

"He's late," Rose groaned as she sprawled out on the church pew and set her head on the Doctor's lap. "By two hours."

"Maybe there was an emergency," the Doctor offered, brushing the hair from her eyes.

She gave him an incredulous expression. "A priest emergency?"

"Like a possessed child or dying man," Jack offered from the pew behind them.

"That's morbid," Jackie grimaced from her spot beside Jack. "We're here for the rehearsal not a funeral."

Jack shrugged. "I was only suggesting possible scenarios."

"Did he call anyone?" Rose wondered as she slid the phone from her pocket.

They checked their phones and no one had heard anything about the priest's whereabouts. Jackie decided to sprawl out like Rose, balancing her feet on Jack. He leapt at the sudden contact, but decided to give her a wink and motion to her feet. "Massage while we're waiting?"

"Not the time or place. This is a chapel," the Doctor snapped.

"Well, an innocent massage is hardly the worst I've done in a church."

"Jack!" Rose and the Doctor cried in unison.

Jackie smirked. "I could stand to hear more…"

The heavy chapel doors flew open with a clang and a wispy priest darted to the front. He panted heavily, fixing his thinning hair and holding up his Bible. "Right. Rehearsal. Let's go."

They exchanged looks and got to their feet, awaiting further instruction. The priest didn't say anything, so the Doctor nudged him on. "What do we do?"

"Groom and best man up here. Bride and maid of honor at the back. Hurry now. Shake a leg."

The Doctor stood in front of him with Jack at his side and the ladies moved back. "Why were you late?" the Doctor wondered.

"Over slept," the priest explained.

"It's almost three in the afternoon," the Doctor commented. "You've slept that long?"

"I was at the bedside of a dying man all night," the priest retorted. "Well, not really. That'd be a great excuse, though. So. Which one's the groom?"

"He is," Jack nodded.

The priest made a surprised sound. "Really? That's funny."

"What? Why?" the Doctor demanded.

"Nothing. It's just. She's an attractive woman and he's an attractive man."

"Are you implying that I'm not attractive enough for my fiancée? What kind of priest are you?"

"Can we please get this going?" Jackie bellowed from the back. "We've been here for ages!"

The Doctor glared and Jack suppressed a chuckle. With the motion of his hand, the priest signaled the ladies to start walking. "Faster, faster!" he shouted. "We don't have all day!"

Once they arrived, the priest did a speed read of the vowels and verses. They could hardly keep up with him. He slammed the Bible shut and started for the doors, talking over his shoulder. "Okay, there you are. See you on September sixteenth."

"Fifteenth," Rose corrected him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

He frowned. "No, I have you booked for four o'clock on the sixteenth."

"No, we booked the fifteenth…" Rose gritted through a forced smile. "Father Michael took our reservation two months ago. He said it was confirmed."

"I'm Father Michael," the priest replied grouchily. "I could have sworn that you said _sixteenth_."

"Can't you change it?" the Doctor pressed. "We want that day specifically."

"I have a funeral. Do you really want me to tell a grieving family to move the service?" Father Michael hissed.

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other and agreed, "That'd be nice…"

"Can't do it," the priest argued. "It's the sixteenth or nothing."

"You don't understand," Jackie attempted. "That's an important date to the family, not to mention the fact that the wedding is in _two bloody days_! We sent invites!"

Father Michael gave them an unsympathetic expression. "Oh well. Do you want to have a wedding or not?"

"I believe that my fiancé said this already, but _what kind of priest are you_?!" Rose exclaimed.

Jack moved closer, eyeing the man carefully. "Mike Renfield? Is that you?"

The priest tugged on his collar nervously. "Is that you, Jack? I couldn't tell. Not without the mask."

"You know him?" the Doctor inquired.

"Oh yeah. I know him. Holy orders, huh? Wouldn't have anything to do with our week in Spain, would it?" Jack questioned as the wispy man blushed. "Can't you do anything to help, Mikey? For me?"

He stammered for a moment. "I still can't move the wedding. I'm sorry. But, even though it's against policy, I'll refund your payment."

"Thanks, Mikey…" Jack winked and the priest scurried away. "He is certainly not the holy man type."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Mask?"

"He was into some freaky things back in the late 1980s. We all were. What're you going to do about the wedding?"

"Look for another church," the Doctor replied like it was simple.

"Two days beforehand?" Jackie scoffed. "It's not going to be easy. And what about the guests?"

"We'll manage," Rose assured her mother, although internally she was freaking out.

Jack checked the time. "Man, I have to go. It's been fun, kids. Stay in school and don't do drugs. We still on for the night before the wedding, Doctor?"

"We are. I'll pick you up at the Rift."

"Sounds good. See you soon, Rose. And Jackie…rain check on the foot massage…" he grinned and began to leave.

In a sudden burst of remembrance, the Doctor chased him down outside of the chapel. "Jack, before you go, I need to give you the rings. I made them myself and I keep messing with the engravings. Really, it's getting annoying. If you have them, I won't be tempted to tweak anything."

"Right. Sounds good."

He produced a small box with two golden bands. "Listen carefully. These rings have Gallifreyan engraved on the inside. Do _not_ lose them. Understand? Whatever you _don't _lose them. I don't care if you show up drunk and in a kilt as long as you have these."

"Is that a promise?"

He groaned and Jack laughed, slipping the box in his pocket. They shared a brief embrace and Jack went off to go back home. The Doctor joined the Tyler women, who had gotten a check from Father Michael refunding the money they managed to pull together. They headed to Jackie's flat. Each of them had a phone and started making calls to churches.

"What do you mean by 'sharing' the chapel?" Rose asked into her cell phone. "No, I don't want to get married while some random bloke gets christened. Why? Because it's my wedding and I don't even know the family!"

"Right so that'd be how much for the day?" the Doctor inquired as he borrowed Jackie's cell phone. "Are you sure that's the amount in pounds and not your phone number?"

"No, I need it this year not next year. Can't you move the Bible study class to another day? No, I'm not a heathen! Well, that goes double for your mum, mate!" Jackie hung up the home phone with a huff.

Rose ended her conversation with a frown. "Looks like every church in England is taken. Maybe we should just pick another day. Postpone things. Or wait until next September fifteenth."

The Doctor scowled. "No postponing anything. We'll make this work. It can't be a church, so why don't we use a banquet hall? Contract someone to marry us."

Jackie snapped her fingers. "My boyfriend's best mate is this lawyer. His son is an ordained minister. I bet we can get him to do it. Granted, he did get his certification online just last week, but it's all legal. And we could get him for free."

"Okay then. That works," Rose nodded. "And there's this little banquet hall in that hotel down the block. No one ever uses it. We could check there."

"Brilliant! Let's get moving."

They managed to get a reservation and the ordained minister. After that, they each had to call everyone on the guest list. "Who am I? I'm the groom. Yes, Rose is marrying me. I'm the Doctor. No, it's just the Doctor. Like Cher? Yes, I suppose so. I don't have a degree from university. Then why do I go by Doctor? Well, it's…never mind that. We've had a change in plans. What? No, Rose can't come to the phone. You haven't talked to her since school? Why are you even invited? Was that rude? I guess it was. Don't mind me. Sort of came out that way. Rude. And I'm also not ginger. I…hello? Hello?"

Rose glanced at him as he hung up the phone. "How many people have you ran off now?"

"Counting that one…four."

"Maybe you shouldn't call anyone else," she whispered, patting his arm affectionately. "I'd like there to be at least a few guests."

"You're right. I told you that I'm rubbish with weddings. I keep saying it and saying it, but I really do mean it. I'll just go play with my sonic screwdriver in the corner until the ceremony…"

It took some doing by Rose and Jackie, but everyone was contacted about the change of plans. The Doctor and Rose returned to the TARDIS for the night, utterly stressed. "This isn't how I thought this would go…" she grumbled as she climbed into their bed.

"When do things ever go according to plan?" he mused, draping an arm across her. "I'm surprised things have gone so well, actually. Well, one could argue that today didn't go exceeding well, but it's hardly the worst it could be."

Rose grimaced. "Although you're right, you've just jinxed us."

"Please," he laughed. "Jinxes don't exist."

"It's possible. Every time someone says that it could be worse, it'll get worse."

"I only meant that we haven't had any life or death situations, threatening aliens, or reasons to run for our lives. That's pretty good for us, wouldn't you say?"

She nodded tiredly. "Yep. I need sleep before our last day as an unmarried couple. Don't forget that tomorrow night I'm staying with Mum. You can't wear me out too much."

He pouted. "Do you have to? You could spend time with me and Jack like the old days."

"It's bad luck to see a bride on the day of the wedding, so it'll be easier if I stay somewhere else the night before. I think we've had enough bad luck to last us a lifetime."

They fell into a restful sleep and spent the next day enjoying their last hours as a dating couple. With some reluctance, as he hated to be away from her for more than a few minutes, he took her to Jackie's flat that night before picking up Jack. They had a long and nonverbal goodbye as she picked up her overnight bag.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she winked. "And something tells me it'll be at wedding. I wonder why that is?"

"No idea," he shrugged, waving goodbye.

She made her way to her mother's flat and he took the TARDIS to Cardiff. Rose and Jackie decided to spend the night as single ladies, watching bad romance films, eating chocolate, and drinking wine. Jackie gestured to the television. "Men are _never_ like that in real life. This is why it's a film."

"They can be like that. The Doctor has his sweet moments."

"Moments. They only last for a teeny second and then they're back to being thick. I seriously wonder what they'd do without women. It'd be one stupid society. Probably filled with football and beer. More wine?" she refilled their glasses and resumed watching the film. "Oh, here it is. The wedding scene."

Rose laughed uncontrollably. "Look at how perfectly it's going. That's not real life at all. _That's _why this is a film. But I love her dress! It's stunning!"

"I have an idea! Go put on your dress and I'll put on mine. Then, we'll finish this bottle and put in another terrible film to watch in our dresses."

"Why on Earth should we do that?"

"You're only going to have that thing on for the ceremony. The Doctor will probably rip it right off you afterwards. Might as well enjoy it while it's in one piece."

It was impossible to hide the blush, but Rose smiled widely. "Let's go get into our wedding dresses!"

On the TARDIS, Jack and the Doctor were seated up in the coral with daiquiris and a bucket of golf balls. The Doctor sipped slowly and threw the golf ball through the split in the nearby coral, bouncing it off the console and into a bin set on the floor below. "Ha! Three of three!"

"It's not fair," Jack whined. "You're a Time Lord and I'm just a human. You've got alien abilities. I got nothing."

He shrugged. "I never said it'd be a fair game, did I? Your go."

Jack took a golf ball and calculated, missing terribly. The Doctor laughed and he pouted, drinking his daiquiri in angry silence. "Do you have the rings on you?" the Doctor wondered. "I might want to touch up the engraving to make sure it's really perfect. I know I gave them to you so I wouldn'tdo that, but I really can't resist. They're supposed to say _forever_, but it's very touchy lettering there. One mistake and the word changes all together. Of course, I am the only one that would know the difference. Still. It would drive me mad."

"Are you done rambling? I do have them," Jack laughed. "I kept them in my pocket this whole time just because I knew how important they were."

He reached into his pocket and his smile faded. Desperately, he searched all of his pockets and made a nervous giggling sound. The Doctor kept sipping his daiquiri and tossing golf balls into the bin, unaware of Jack's problem. "Um, Doctor…"

"Jack?"

"I think that I lost the rings."

Slowly, the Doctor looked over at him. "You think or you know?"

"I know."

The Doctor leaned in, holding a golf ball near Jack's face. "You're lucky that you can't die, Jack Harkness. You are very lucky indeed," he threw the ball without breaking eye contact and the bin below fell over at the sheer force of impact.

"It's not so bad," Jack attempted.

He glared. "The wedding is tomorrow!"

Back at Jackie's flat, Rose was in her wedding dress and seated on her mother's bed with a glass of wine. Jackie was raiding the closet in an attempt to find her old wedding dress. "You sure you kept it?" Rose wondered, sipping the cheap red alcohol.

"I know I did."

"You going to fit?"

"Rose, what a rude thing to say! Of course I'll still fit. Ah, here it is!" she held it up victoriously and started to shimmy into it, pulling it over her nightgown.

She chuckled at her mother's attempt. It wasn't going to fit, but Jackie wasn't going to give up. She got it up most of the way, holding in her breath to do so. "Rose…be a dear and zip me," she muttered in a strained voice.

Rose got up and held the glass in one hand, tugging on the zipper with the other. It wasn't budging. "Mum, it's not going to zip."

"Just give it a good yank."

With all of her might, she pulled upwards on the zipper. Jackie couldn't breathe and was urgently clawing at the zipper. Rose got the idea and went to unzip it, but it was stuck. She tugged and tugged, managing to loosen it some. When she got it down all of the way, Jackie leapt back into Rose and sucked in a shaky breath. Rose tumbled to the bed, spilling the wine all over her pink dress.

"My dress is ruined!" she panicked. "The wedding is tomorrow!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter three: Wedding bells**_

"I'm sorry."

"Save it."

"Doctor, I'm _really_ sorry!"

The Doctor was on his way to the console and Jack followed. "When did you last see the rings?"  
"Um…this morning. I put them in my coat pocket."

"So you have no idea what might have happened between early this morning and right now?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

"Please tell me that you spent all day in one location."

"I'm _so so _sorry."

The Doctor groaned and hit a few buttons. "Let's retrace your steps. Last place you were was the Rift. We'll start there."

Shakily, the TARDIS took off and Jack laughed uncomfortably. "Good thing this is a time machine. We'll be able to be on time no matter how long it takes us to find it. It could be worse."

"Don't say that. Please don't say that."

Rose and Jackie were panicking over the dress situation. "It looks like someone stabbed me in the heart and I bled everywhere!" Rose exclaimed.

"Too bad this isn't a Halloween theme. It'd totally work."

"Mum, not helping! What are we going to do?"

"I read that vinegar gets out red wine!" she proclaimed. "Get out of that dress as quick as you can. I'll be getting ready in the kitchen."

Rose slipped out of her dress and threw on her mother's robe. She ran to the kitchen and Jackie took the dress, tossing it in the sink.

"Mum…are you sure about this?"

Jackie scoffed. "Of course I am. Just pour on the vinegar and blot away. I read it online."

She poured almost the entire bottle on the stain and grabbed a blue cloth, blotting with force. It wasn't working, so she scrubbed and scrubbed. Rose couldn't watch. Blue dye was transferred to the pink fabric and it smelled awful. Jackie eventually gave up, scowling at how much worse it was.

"I don't understand. It's supposed to work. What is this made of?" she read the tag and gasped. "Dry clean only. Well. There's the problem."

"Mum!"

"Sorry! We'll go see Thomas," Jackie declared as she left to get an outfit.

"Of course! Bless you for dating a dry cleaner, Mum!"

She returned in clothes and threw Rose's overnight bag towards her. "Put something on. And shake a leg. We don't want that to set. We have to get to his flat right now."

Rose changed and they ran outside, catching a cab to Jackie's boyfriend. He lived in a tiny building several blocks away. It was well past midnight when Jackie pounded on the door. After a pause, the door opened and Thomas answered in his jimjams. Rose cringed at his roving eyeball.

"Jackie! What do I owe the pleasure?" he yawned, suddenly seeing Rose. "And Rose! Hello again!"

"We have an emergency," Jackie explained. He stepped aside and they rushed in. "Show him, Rose."

She carefully splayed the dress on the table and he leaned over it, humming thoughtfully. "That's my wedding dress. I accidentally spilled wine on it. We tried to clean it, but it didn't work. Can you save it?"

"How long ago did the accident occur? What did you use on it?" he questioned, examining it more closely.

"About twenty or thirty minutes. We tried vinegar and a cloth," Jackie provided.

"Damn. No wonder it smells. You shouldn't have done that. We have to move or your dress will be lost. I can't work here. I don't have my equipment. To the shop!"

They exited his flat and traveled the block over to his dry cleaning shop. He rushed inside and cradled the dress neatly. "You wait here. I'll see what I can do."

He vanished into the back and the Tyler women sat on chairs near the front. Jackie took Rose's hand. "He's the best in London. Don't you worry. If anyone can save your dress, it's him. Good thing I'm not dating a sailor or a bus driver. It could be worse."

She grimaced. "Did you have to say that?"

Jack and the Doctor were wandering in the darkness of Cardiff with torches illuminating the ground. So far, they had checked near the Rift and didn't find anything. They were walking back towards his flat. "What if someone found them?" the Doctor mumbled. "What if they found them and kept them? Or what if they pawned them?"

"They didn't," Jack tried to sound reassuring. "Why don't we just go back and follow me around? See what happened? That way, we know that no one got them."

"Timelines. We could cause a paradox. I've been there and done that. You know, for once I wanted something to be _normal_. Just me and Rose Tyler, a little wedding, end of story. But no. Your priest ex-boyfriend is an idiot, ruins our plans, we manage to pull it together, and you lose the rings when I specifically told you not to. That's all the best man has to do, Jack. Stand up there and hand over the rings at the appropriate time. Is that so difficult?"

"Now you listen here, Doctor. Mike wasn't my boyfriend. It was one drunken holiday in Spain."

"That's what you're defending?" the Doctor smirked.

"Well, the rest of it is true…"

They gave up looking on the street and wandered into his flat. They turned the place upside-down, finding things that really the Doctor would rather have left to his imagination. The rings weren't anywhere to be found, so Jack assumed that he left them at work. He swallowed. "You aren't going to like where I work, Doctor."

"Where is that?"

"Well, Torchwood. We destroyed the Sycorax ship on Christmas awhile back. But it's changed. There was some big melt down about a year ago with the original one, so I took over here in Cardiff."

The Doctor grimaced. "This day just gets better and better."

Rose and Jackie stood up as Thomas returned, slipping the reddened gloves from his hands. "Well, how did it go? Did it make it?" Jackie questioned nervously.

"There was a lot of fluid. I did my best to remove as much of the pigment as possible, but the vinegar and blue dye made things worse. It was too late. I'm sorry. Your dress is ruined."

He put a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder. She couldn't believe it. "I just got that dress. My wedding is today and we don't have time or money to get another one. What are we going to do?"

"I have some dresses in the back. They were never picked up, so I've just held onto them. Maybe you'll find one that fits," Thomas offered.

"You'd let me have one?" Rose asked in surprised.

"Of course I would. What am I going to do with them? Clearly not going to be a bride. Go on and have a look at your choices."

She smiled and embraced him, running to the back to see what she could find. There were about six wedding dresses, but all that she could find was a single one in her size. It was the most hideous thing she had ever seen before in her life. She checked on her other dress and the red stain was still visible, not to mention the stench of vinegar. It was wear the dress with the smelly stain, wear the ugly dress, or decide to have a casual wedding ceremony. She held up the dress that looked like it was from the 1960s, and she grimaced. "How can this day get any better?"

Jack snuck the Doctor into Torchwood. No one was there that late. He sat down at the computer and checked a security feed. "There I am coming in first thing this morning," Jack stated as they observed.

The Doctor leaned in closer and rewound the footage. "Jack…you're wearing a different coat in these frames."

He looked at the screen and looked at his outfit. "Oh."

"Oh what?"

"Before I went to meet you at the Rift, I changed coats."

"Why?"

"Because I changed outfits. That coat wouldn't go with the…never mind. It's a vanity thing. My point is that the rings must be in the other coat."

The Doctor nodded. "Where's the other coat?"

"…my apartment."

"We were _just there_!"

"Yeah and I didn't check my other coat. Did you?" Jack pointed out. When the Doctor shook his head, he smiled. "There. We've found the rings. Everything will be fine from here."

Rose tried on the other dress. It fit all right, but she still hated it. Jackie came back to see it and made a face. "Is that all?"

"This is the only one."

She checked the other dress and frowned. "So it's the big stain or the big ugly. What's it going to be?"

"Maybe we should just get married in jeans."

"But it's a formal occasion! Everyone is dressing up."

She groaned. "Mum, what I am going to do?"

"Well, that dress isn't so bad, I suppose. It does make you look like a—"

"Church bell. Yeah, I know. I guess it'll do. We need sleep before the big day. Let's just make it work."

Jackie went back to the front to thank Thomas while Rose changed. The three of them began walking back towards his flat. "See? We averted disaster and everything will be just fine from now on. I just know it," Thomas grinned.

The Doctor finally found the rings in the pocket of Jack's other coat. They went back to the TARDIS in silence and he tweaked a few things before giving the box back to Jack. "I put a small chip inside of the box so that we can track it if you lose it again. But don't. Really. Don't."

He saluted. "You got it, Doctor."

"Don't do that. I hate that."

Jack smiled and nudged him with his elbow. "Cheer up. You're getting married! Let's ride that horse of yours to get you smiling again. What's his name?"

"Aladdin Timothy Arthur Rafiq Draco Ihab Simba Tyler. Or just Al for short."

"Wow. That's complicated. Anyway, what do you say? Go for a spin?" he offered, hoping to make peace.

That got the Doctor smiling. "Oh yes."

They piled into the stable in the back of the TARDIS and climbed onto Aladdin. Jack wasn't quite ready to move yet, as he didn't have a good hold on the Doctor, but the Doctor didn't know that. They sped off and Jack went flying away, effectively falling on his foot. It wasn't until they had completed a lap that the Doctor noticed Jack wasn't there. He came back and saw the look on Jack's face.

"You know how a best man is just supposed to hold the rings and stand next to you?"

"Yes…"

"Well, I lost the rings before and now I think I've broken my ankle."

He exhaled deeply. "Of course you have."

After helping Jack to his feet, they made their way to the medical bay where the Doctor confirmed that it was broken. He put a cast on it and handed him crutches. Jack grinned cheekily. "Do you have basic black? I think they'll go better with the fancy suit."

"No. Let's just get some sleep and hope things get better."

They went to their separate bedrooms and tried to get some rest. Several hours later when the morning began, everyone was in panic mode. Rose and Jackie were trying to get ready while checking on reservations and the minister. Jack was having difficulty getting around without help from the Doctor, which made taking a bath and getting dressed incredibly uncomfortable. They parked the TARDIS in the banquet hall so Jack didn't have to move as far. The Doctor covered it with sheets from the hotel's courtesy desk and took his place at the front of the room in the tux he lifted from Pete's world. Jack pulled up a chair next to him until it was start time.

People arrived and took their seats while some bloke put on a complimentary wedding playlist. A kid wandered up to the front with a book of some sort and clapped the Doctor on the back. "You must be the groom. What's happening?"

He blinked. "Who are you?"

"I'm the minister."

"You're joking. You're a child."

The kid scoffed. "I'm eighteen. This is perfectly legal. What's your name so I can write it in the speech?"

"Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

He shut his eyes and took a long breath. This wasn't happening. "Just the Doctor."

"That's your legal name?"

The Doctor flashed his psychic paper and gestured to the lad. "You're in jeans and a jumper."

"I just had a growth spurt. My suit doesn't fit."

Jack reached up and gave the Doctor a pat on the shoulder. "Things will be fine. Don't worry."

Rose and Jackie were in the hotel lobby, waiting nervously for the cue to enter the hall. She had a bouquet of flowers and kept twisting them anxiously, almost hard enough to snap the stems. "Calm down," Jackie whispered. "It'll be fine."

"How do I explain this dress? It's awful."

"But you look beautiful. He won't care what you're wearing as long as you show up."

Inside, the cue was given and Jack painfully balanced beside the Doctor. Both of his hearts were racing as two hotel workers opened the banquet doors and Jackie started down the aisle. She reached the front and glared at the boy minister and Jack's crutches.

"What happened to him?" she asked in a loud murmur, motioning to Jack.

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly. "We had a few mishaps…"

The music changed and people stood for Rose. She started inside with a stunning smile. The Doctor smiled back and everything was perfect. It didn't matter what happened up to that moment. No, that's because everything was just _fine_. Nothing else could go wrong from there…right?

A flash of light appeared in midair above the aisle. There were loud noises like thunder or bombshells. Suddenly, a man came flying through and landed on the floor with a thud. He held up a large gun and fired into the light. Shortly after, it disappeared. He panted and stood up, adjusting his suit.

"Where am I?" he asked curiously. His eyes met Rose's and he laughed. "Well. If it isn't Rose Tyler. Why are you dressed like that?"

"Oh, I just like to wander around London in a wedding dress that's older than I am. It's such a flattering look," she deadpanned. "You've just crashed my wedding…Dad."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter four: Real problems**_

"I'm not your dad," Pete reminded her forcefully.

The Doctor moved in for a closer look. "Pete? Long time no see. What are you doing in our world?"

Jackie put a hand to her mouth. "Is that really…?"

He turned around towards the front of the room and couldn't believe his eyes. "Jacks, you're alive."

"I'm alive? You're the one that died."

"We can do this later," the Doctor interrupted. "Two things are happening. Number one, we're supposed to be getting married. Number two, you are not supposed to be here. You can't be here. It's _impossible_ that you are here. It's very _bad_ that you are here."

Pete shrugged. "I can't explain it, Doctor. I was in the middle of a fight and felt something pull on me. Before I knew it, I was flying through the air and landed here."

"A fight?" Rose pressed. "Who were you fighting?"

"Cybermen. Well, sort of. There's a new group of Cybermen. They're calling themselves Cyberpeople. They're different. Really different. Trying to take over the world back home. Everyone is scrambling. It's a small group, only about three hundred worldwide, but they're dangerous. More dangerous than the others."

"How's that?" the Doctor wondered as everyone in the room was utterly confused.

"They were failed conversions," Pete explained. "They kept their identities, but they're still in the suit. They have emotions and personalities. It's like PMS only worse. They're the opposite of Cybermen."

The room heard the same noises and saw the same lights as before only in the lobby this time. Rose turned towards it and saw Cybermen flopping to the floor. She rushed and slammed the banquet hall doors, causing the Doctor to run to her side and use his sonic screwdriver to keep the doors shut.

"So much for keeping this normal," Rose laughed.

He smiled at her. "Well, we don't like things to be boring."

At that point, the room descended into chaos. The guests were confused, freaking out, and loudly shouting at one another. Jack was attempting to get to the Doctor and Rose, but he kept falling onto random people in the crowd. Pete and Jackie were having a row and Thomas went to Jackie's side, joining the argument. Outside, there were the sounds of mayhem and Cybermen. Rose had enough.

"SHUT UP!"

The noise ceased and everyone stared at her in complete shock. She adjusted the horrific bridal ensemble and dramatically shoved the bouquet into the Doctor's hands. He took it with a big grin.

"I have been a very calm bride up until now. Let me tell you that it hasn't been easy. Our original plans were ruined and then my dress was ruined too. This is the _last _way I wanted to look on my wedding day, but apparently this ceremony isn't going to go smoothly. Honestly, I really don't care. I am marrying this man today whether the world is ending or not. Let London get destroyed! I'm going to be his wife by tonight. So, you lot. Shut your traps and wait quietly for things to get back on track. Doctor, Jack, and Dad—let's go talk in the TARDIS for a moment. Anyone have any problem with that? Anyone at all?"

"I'm going to the TARDIS with you," Jackie announced.

Rose huffed. "Fine. I'm assuming the box-shaped sheet with blue shining through it is the TARDIS?"

"Yeah," the Doctor confirmed.

"_Brilliant _disguise."

She quickly went down the aisle with the Doctor in pursuit. Ripping off the sheet, she stormed inside and he followed. Pete went in next with Jack, and Jackie paused in the doorway. "Thank you so much for coming, everyone. We'll explain in a minute. Just talk amongst yourselves. Don't worry. The world isn't ending. At least, I don't think so. Then again, what do I know?"

They gathered around the console as the Doctor worked. "Yep, you came through from another universe. Void stuff everywhere. I don't know how. Where were you when it happened?"

"On holiday in Norway."

"Holiday in Norway?" Jackie echoed. "Why on Earth would you go to bloody Norway?"

"I was already there for business, so I took a breather in a small town near the beach. Bad Wolf Bay, they called it."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged looks. He looked on his screen. "Aha! There's a tiny, tiny crack in the universe there. You were fighting before you got pulled in, right?"

"Yeah. I was up against about five. They followed me from London since I run this thing called Torchwood there. I was just relaxing on the beach when they showed up."

"In a suit?" Rose pointed out.

He adjusted his sleeves. "Well, yeah. I always wear a suit. Suits are good."

"Very good. Anyway, I think that the reason the Cybermen appeared in the lobby instead of in here is because you shot it. What is that weapon?" the Doctor asked.

Pete held up the gun. "It's a simple energy gun. It makes them short out."

"Must be a very strong burst. I'm still getting residual energy readings. That must be what did it. Your weapon in addition the natural crack in the universe. It broke through and sucked you right inside. The Cybermen as well. Or Cyberpeople. Whatever they are."

"What about these Cyberpeople makes them dangerous? Do they have different weapons? Different methods?" Jack added curiously.

Pete shrugged. "They're unpredictable. One second, they're hell-bent on 'deleting' you and the next they give you a hug."

"What?" Rose frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I got hugged by one just yesterday. They've gone crazy in those metal suits. That's why they're trying to take the world. We wouldn't give them human rights."

Jackie whacked his arm. "Why not?"

"Not my decision!" Pete answered, rubbing the spot. "I'm not in charge of everyone like _you_ are, Jacks."

"How do we stop them?" Rose questioned. "Like I said, _wedding_!"

"Let me go out there. I'll get them," Pete assured her. "By the way, you're getting married? You two?"

"Yeah," they smiled in unison.

Pete smiled back. "Well, congratulations. I figured you two where a couple. The catering staff is always shagging each other."

They blushed and stammered until Jackie interrupted. "He's real? He's Pete?"

"Alternate universe Pete," the Doctor nodded. "In his world, he's very rich."

"How rich?" Jackie automatically answered.

"I just said _very_. Back to the _wedding_ part. We need to handle this situation."

"What can I do?" Jack wondered from his place on the seat.

That's when Rose noticed. "What happened to your foot?"

"First, he lost the wedding rings. Second, he fell off the horse and broke his foot."

"Horse?" Pete asked.

"We have a horse. He's our first child," the Doctor explained, flustering at the look Rose gave him. "What?"

"You said _first _child. Like there will be more."

"We'll talk later."

Jack chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets. His face fell and he kept searching. "Doctor, I think that I've lost the rings…again."

"This is why I put in a tracker," he grumbled as he changed screens. "Blimey, I can't use it. It's the leftover energy from Pete's entrance. Too much interference."

Rose put her face in her hands. "I can't take you two anywhere…"

"I had them when we landed. They have to be in the TARDIS or out there," Jack offered. "So not too hard to find, right?"

"New plan. Pete and I will deal with the Cyberpeople. Jackie, Rose, and Jack—find the bloody rings. And don't give them to Jack until the ceremony. I mean it. Don't. Just don't."

He kissed Rose briefly and led Pete outside. They went to the banquet hall doors and threw them open, prepared for a fight. There were no Cybermen to be seen in the lobby. They began to slowly patrol and came across the desk worker. She simply pointed and said, "They went that way."

Rose and Jackie checked every inch of Jack's guest room, the loo, the kitchen, the stable, and the console room. There were no rings. Rose towered over Jack and glared. "You're lucky that you can't die, Captain Jack Harkness."

He rolled his eyes. "Your fiancé already used that line. Let's check the hall. I'll follow you out."

"Close the door behind you," Rose reminded him as she ran out with Jackie.

Shakily, Jack stood up and wobbled over to the entrance. He tried to close the door with his crutches, but it didn't happen. After making sure that they weren't watching, he muttered to himself, "What's the worst that could happen if I leave it open?"

Pete and the Doctor stumbled onto one of the Cybermen outside of the indoor swimming pool at the hotel. It had its hands on the glass door, and its deep cyber-voice sounded like it was weeping. The Doctor lowered Pete's weapon with his hand and moved closer. "Hello?"

"I can't swim anymore," it answered somberly. "I am steel on the outside."

"But human on the inside," the Doctor responded as it turned to face them. "I know that must be hard for you."

"You know nothing!" it argued. "Just like a man to attempt sympathy!"

The Cyberman, which apparently was a woman, got ready to delete them and Pete shot it. It fell over and the Doctor grimaced. "You're right, Pete. Total PMS."

"Jackie was the worst," Pete groaned as they kept searching. "Is this Jackie like that?"

"Oh yes. And Rose is so much like her mother…"

Back in the hall, Jackie and Rose were at the front. "Now, the rings should be in a box. They've been dropped somewhere in the hall. If you find them, please bring them to me or my mum," Rose commanded as the people began to look.

Jack sat on a chair beside them. "I'm so sorry. I'm not best man of the year."

"Not even close, mate…" Jackie hissed as she folded her arms.

"You're supposed to comfort me, Jackie. Lie and say how wonderful I am. What about that foot massage I owe you? Will that make everything better?"

Thomas stood up at that. "Him too? Who else have you been hiding from me? Have you been with all of England?"

"By now? Probably," Rose commented, accidentally making them get into another row. She grumbled and went to sit down when the minister stopped her.

"How long is this going to take?"

"Oi, you got a curfew? Got a get home to play your game system?" Rose questioned.

He looked offended. "No…it's just…a school night. I can't stay too long."

"You'll stay until we're married, even if I have to tie you to the wall."

"Kinky," Jack commented.

Rose glared at first, but eventually broke into giggles. She plopped onto floor next to Jack with an unhappy sigh. "At least this is a memorable wedding."

"Yep. I'd say it's the most memorable wedding in history. You two must have horrible luck for this much to go wrong. It's ridiculous."

She paused before answering, as her ears had become tuned to the sound of horse hooves. She stared at Jack with dangerous eyes. "You remembered to close the door, right?"

"Why?" he swallowed nervously.

"Oh, it's just that Aladdin gets out of his stable a lot. We've tried changing the locks, but he's just too clever. I'd hate it if he somehow escaped the TARDIS."

Jack chuckled. "Well, good thing I remembered those doors…"

The guests screamed and moved away from the TARDIS as the large horse barreled into the open. Rose stood up and tried to chase him down, but he was too fast. Aladdin vanished into the lobby and she rounded on Jack. "Worst best man _ever_. You've lost the horse!"

"Found the rings!" a voice nearby shouted.

Jack motioned. "At least you have the rings…"

Meanwhile, Pete and the Doctor were in the back room of the first level. They had located the other four Cybermen and were discussing how to attack. "How about I just leap inside and shoot them?" Pete suggested. "I think that works."

"Well, we should at least give them a choice. Go peacefully or else."

"That'll make us lose the element of surprise. You're about get married. Can't do that if the groom is dead. Well, maybe you could. Wouldn't be the same, though."

He scowled. "Do your thing. I'll wait here."

Pete leapt inside and pulled the trigger, but apparently something went wrong. Nothing fired. He checked and saw that the lights had died. His hand went to his forehead. "I told myself to change the batteries this morning…"

The Cybermen instantly caught onto what was happening and the Doctor leapt inside of the room, grabbing Pete by the sleeve. "Run!"

They took off down the hallway, being chased by the four Cybermen. When they were rounding a corner, the speckled horse appeared in the Doctor's sight. "Aladdin! What are you doing out of the TARDIS?"

"Your horse is named Aladdin?" Pete commented as they got closer to him.

"He's an Arabian. Why doesn't anybody get that?"

Upon seeing the Doctor, Aladdin decided that it was the perfect time to run at them. Actually, he wound up running past them and towards the Cybermen. Naturally, the Doctor chased him in sheer panic.

"Aladdin Timothy Arthur Rafiq Draco Ihab Simba Tyler, you come back this instant! You'll be in danger if you don't!"

Being a horse, Aladdin didn't listen.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter five: Ceremony**_

The Doctor and Pete chased the horse, skidding to a halt when they saw Aladdin standing nearby. All four Cybermen were petting him. "What are you doing to my horse?" the Doctor demanded.

"This is your horse?" one asked gleefully. "He's beautiful! I love horses!"

"We're petting him. He seems to like it," another one answered.

"He's very well behaved," yet another agreed.

The Doctor grinned. "Thank you. My fiancée got him for me."

"Aw, you're getting married?" one responded. "Remember when we got married, Seymour?"

"Of course, Phyllis!" the Cyberman next to it answered.

Pete rubbed his temples, whispering, "Can you believe these things? It just doesn't seem right when they get all…cuddly. They're more emotional than anything else."

That gave the Doctor an idea. "You know, my wedding is today. Well, right now. It was supposed to be over, but we've had to hold up the ceremony."

"What for?" the Cybermen questioned, causing the men to exchange looks.

"Right, well…why don't you come to the wedding?" the Doctor offered.

Pete forced a smile and spoke out the side of his mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Just go with it."

"You'd let us come?" the one called Phyllis exclaimed tearfully.

He shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'm the Doctor. Nice to meet you."

The Cybermen paused. "We know you."

"Yes, many people do. I'm infamous, some would say. Well, maybe not some. Just me. Anyway, you're aware that I have a TARDIS. I'll tell you what. You can come to the wedding _if_ you let me take you to a new planet to start over as proper citizens. Would you like that?"

They cheered and rushed past the horse, squeezing the Doctor into a group hug. He glanced at Pete who said, "I guess that's a yes."

Back in the banquet hall, Rose was pacing. For all she knew, the horse was gone forever and so were her Doctor and father. She prepared to go after them, but Jackie stopped her. "Don't even think about it. You are staying right here where I can see you. The last thing I want is for my daughter to get killed on her wedding day. And knowing our luck, that would happen."

"But what about the Doctor? Dad? Aladdin? I need to see where they are."

"Talk some sense into her," Jackie told Jack.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound authoritative. "Rose, you should stay here. The Doctor would want that."

"Do I ever listen when he tells me to stay put? Do you?"

"Well, no…but I've lost the rings twice and his horse. He really will find a way to kill me permanently if I lose the bride too."

She groaned and reluctantly sat back down. "If anyone comes back dead, I'll find a way to do that myself, Jack."

"Point taken."

The Doctor and Pete were leading the horse and the Cybermen to the banquet hall. "Doctor, is there any way that I can go back to my world?"

"I'm sorry, Pete. So Sorry. But not that I can tell. It was a one-way ticket. You never know, though. You might find that you like it here."

Pete stared at him strangely. "How do you mean?"

"Jackie's here."

"She's not my wife."

"She's still Jackie and you're still Pete. I don't see a problem. And, you have Rose here."

"She's not my daughter."

"Oh yes she is. She's a lot like her mother, and I love to remind her of that, but she has so much of Pete Tyler in her as well. She never gives up. Never. You've seen her today. Any other bride would have thrown in the towel by now, but not Rose. She's just like you, Pete. Has to be your daughter."

He swallowed uncomfortably. "I haven't been around for her life. I didn't watch her grow up."

"Neither did this Pete. Like Jackie said, you're dead. You died when Rose was an infant. Just think about things. You're stuck here, but there's a family just waiting for you to come home. And I think it says something that you get sent here during our wedding on your birthday. Which reminds me, happy birthday!"

"Thanks."

They reached the banquet hall and the Doctor announced, "Everyone remain calm. It's all right."

The guests saw the Cybermen and began to panic. They were running about and trying to escape through windows. Rose rolled her eyes. "SHUT UP!" the mayhem stopped. "Thank you!"

"We have a wedding to perform and it's show time! Everyone, take your places. Cybermen, you can keep Aladdin company in the back row. He'd like that. Now, flowers!" the Doctor smiled and darted into the TARDIS to get Rose's bouquet, and then he went to the front. "Tell me you have the rings."

"I have them," Jackie assured him. "He better keep these in plain sight."

Jack took the rings and laughed uneasily. "I'll hold them so they won't fall out of my pocket."

Rose went over to the Doctor, nodding to the back row. "What's going on?"

"They're emotional beings. What's more emotional than a wedding? That'll keep them peaceful until I take them to a different planet. I'll do that as soon as the ceremony ends. For now, let's just get married, Rose Tyler. Allons-y!"

He handed her the flowers and they kissed long enough to make the room very uncomfortable. The minister cleared his throat and they split up. "Wait until I say that part."

"Right. Sorry. Hang on. We need music!" the Doctor chuckled as he held out his sonic screwdriver. The playlist didn't resume. "Of course. Energy interference again. Well, looks like we'll have to hum the wedding march. Anyway, what are we doing? Oh yes, a wedding!"

Jackie and Rose quickly went to the back of the room and the Doctor helped Jack stand next to him. "Sorry about the horse," Jack whispered.

"You let Aladdin out? Brilliant work. He got those Cyberpeople in a very friendly mood."

Rose paused when she saw Pete standing nearby, but she wasn't about to ask him to walk her down the aisle. He made it very clear that he wasn't her father. Jackie started walking first with no music in the background, so she pretty much just ran up there. Rose was getting ready to go when Pete wandered over and offered his arm. "Things are complicated, but the Doctor was right about you."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked as she took his arm.

"You've got the Pete Tyler tenacity. You have to be my daughter somehow."

As they started walking, the Doctor started humming the wedding march. Jack and Jackie joined in, and soon the entire room was humming an awful version of the march. She had to chuckle at the noise and the daft grin on the groom's face. Pete nod to her briefly as she stood across from the Doctor, smiling from ear to ear.

"Everyone, thanks for coming out. Sorry for the delays. Been a crazy day. Anyway, we're here to join these two in marriage. Being married is supposedly really great. It's a holy ceremony and an awesome union. So many end in divorce nowadays, but let's not talk about that. Let's just talk about all of the wonderful things that'll happen. Like…the mixing of their two spirits and outward symbols of love and that sort of thing."

Rose suppressed a laugh at the kid and the Doctor just smiled. Jackie looked like she was going to punch the minister for butchering the ceremony, and Jack looked like he was about to topple over from his crutches. In the background, they heard the Cybermen sobbing and whispering about the "beautiful wedding."

"Well, it looks like I've lost my place in this manual, so we'll have to skip straight to the vows. Is that cool with everyone?" the minister asked.

"Just get on with it," Jackie hissed, causing Rose to finally lose it and laugh uncontrollably.

"Rings?" the minister asked.

The Doctor, Rose, and Jackie all slowly turned to stare at Jack. He held up the box with a tiny smile. "Right here."

He passed them to the Doctor and they got ready for the vows. The minister flipped to the page dramatically. "Repeat after me. I, Doctor, take Rose Marion Tyler, to be my wife in sickness and health. Good times and bad. Richer or poorer. In love. Um…something about constant friendship and faithfulness as long as we both shall live. With this ring I thee wed."

The Doctor stared at him. "That's the vows?"

"My photocopier didn't do a good job."

"Just let us do it then. I take Rose Marion Tyler to be my wife in sickness, health, and any regenerations to come. Good times, bad times, times we're running for our lives, and times we're saving the universe. I am committed to traveling and getting into trouble with you for as long as we both shall live. With both of my hearts and this ring, I wed."

He slid the ring onto her finger and she grinned, holding up a hand at the minister. "Don't bother, mate. I, Rose Marion Tyler, take the Doctor to be my husband in sickness, health, and face changes to come. Good times, bad, running, saving the universe, and all that in between. I'm committed to our life on the TARDIS for as long as we both shall live. With my one heart and this ring, I wed."

She put the ring on his finger and the minster prepared his final speech. "May your marriage work out and not end with lawyers, but if does happen go talk to my father. Best lawyer in London. Anyway, I bless this marriage and hope that everything happens for the best. By the power invested in me by the website _soyouwannabeordained_, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

They kissed each other passionately as the room erupted in applause. The Cybermen were clapping and weeping, and even the horse seemed to understand what was going on. The Doctor embraced Rose tightly. "We're married."

"I know."

"I sort of need to deal with our metal friends before they have a mood swing," he whispered sadly. "But I'll be right back."

"You better be, husband."

He grinned. "Yes dear. Cyberpeople! Bring the horse up this way!"

They came to the front with Aladdin and gave Rose a group hug. She felt unbelievably uncomfortable, but she went with it. "We're going to this nice planet a few galaxies over. C'mon. Shake a leg. You too, Aladdin. To the TARDIS."

"Congratulations!" the Cybermen called as they made their way into the TARDIS with the horse.

The Doctor followed, sticking his head out for just a moment to give Rose a wink. "Off we go!"

Slowly, the TARDIS disappeared and the guests decided to get the hell out of there. Rose hugged her mum and then hugged Jack, who had sat back down.

"Congrats, Rose. You finally got your Doctor."

"Finally," she agreed with a huff.

Pete made his way to the front and awkwardly hugged Rose, turning to Jackie like a nervous school boy. "Jacks."

"Pete."

"Did I mention that you don't look a day older than we got married? Or, you married the other Pete and I married the other Jackie."

She blushed. "Oh, stop it."

"I mean it."

Rose gripped Jack's shoulder hard enough to make him wince. She bit her lip anxiously, hoping that they'd get together.

"Jackie," Thomas called as he crashed onto the scene. "You said this is Pete? But I thought he died."

"Pete from another universe. Don't ask. My daughter's life is weird. She's just married an alien with a time machine."

Thomas took a moment to digest that information and Pete stood up taller. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is Thomas. He's…" she paused, feeling as though she were cheating on him. "My boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," Pete repeated carefully. "I see. I mean, I wouldn't expect you to have sat around for all these years alone. The Doctor said your Pete died when Rose was just a baby. Besides, you're not my wife. It'd be weird if I were to have come over here to ask you something. Too weird."

"Ask me what?" Jackie wondered as Rose tore into Jack's shoulder again.

"Ouch!" Jack hissed. "Easy on the fingernails! God, the Doctor must have scars from your foreplay!"

She smacked him. "Belt up!"

Pete tugged at his collar. "Nothing. Just. I'm stuck here, Jacks. I can't go back to my world."

"You can't?"

"No. Seeing you again, it's…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Pete."

"No. Nothing."

"Out with it before I drag it out!"

He laughed. "You are my Jackie. You really are. I was only thinking that since I'm going to stay here…I'd like it to be with you. But I understand. You have someone. Forget I said anything."

Jack was about to pass out from the pain of Rose clutching his shoulder. Pete started to walk away and Rose dug in further. "Mum," she muttered under her breath. "Stop him!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter six: When things go perfectly**_

"Wait!" Jackie exclaimed, looking at Thomas. "Thomas…"

"Here it goes…" Thomas sighed sadly. "You're ending things."

"I'm sorry, but that man is the love of my life. If your wife came back from the grave, wouldn't you chase her down? We had fun. Karaoke was a blast with the kids. Not that I can remember it I was so drunk. But, my point is that we aren't serious material. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done. We can still be friends. I'd like that."

Thomas nodded as his eye rolled to one side. "I'd like that too. I kind of figured we weren't meant to last anyway. It's been fun, Jackie. Really fun."

They embraced and he backed away as Pete started to move closer. "Jacks?"

"Get over here, Pete Tyler."

He went to her and they embraced, snogging like there was no tomorrow. Rose shrieked happily and hugged Jack, but he leapt at the contact. He patted her on the arm. "Rose, I think that I'm bleeding."

"You are not," she laughed. "I didn't have my nails that deep into you."

He peeled back his coat and gestured to the stains on his white shirt. "Really?"

"Sorry. Mum's ex-boyfriend is dry cleaner. Take it to him."

The minister was still in the room, since Thomas was his ride home. He gestured to the door. "Shouldn't we get going, Thom?"

"Wait," Jackie declared as she pulled back from Pete. "I have a lovely idea. Pete, this might be a bit crazy, but I don't care. Let's get married right now."

"What?" he exclaimed. "But our lives have been different for over twenty years."

"It's still you. Why don't we make a go of it?"

He chuckled. "That's how I asked you to marry me."

"See? Not everything is different."

"I can't do that," the minister argued. "I have an early mathematics class and I haven't finished the work due tomorrow."

Thomas took him by the arm. "Remember how you wrecked your father's car and I covered for you?"

The minister laughed nervously. "I _guess_ that I have time…"

Jackie nodded to Thomas thankfully and the minister took his place between them. "Don't bother with the long version," Jackie told the kid sternly. "Fast and simple."

"Right. Do you have rings?"

Pete pulled his old wedding ring from his pocket, as he kept it on him since the other Jackie died. Rose offered hers to Jackie, on loan of course. They got ready and the minister did as he was told. "Here for these two to get married. Love, symbols, all that. Make up your own vows. Go. Groom first."

"I take Jaqueline Andrea Suzette Tyler to be my wife…again. No matter what happens. With this ring, I thee wed."

It didn't quite fit, but they made it work. She smiled. "You got my name right."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I take Peter Alan Tyler to be my husband again. And I always will. With this ring, I thee wed."

Once she put the ring on his finger, the minister clapped. "Awesome. With the power invested in me—"

The sounds of the TARDIS interrupted him and the Doctor came dancing out. He paused and gestured to the scene. "Have I missed something?"

"Shut up and watch," Jackie snapped.

He smiled and joined Rose and Jack, draping an arm across his wife's shoulders.

"Like I was saying, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

They kissed and the Doctor grinned widely. "I really did miss something."

"Now I really have to go," the minister hurried out of the hall and Thomas began to follow.

"Thank you," Jackie stopped him.

He waved. "I expect to see you at my shop, Jackie Tyler. And you better be smiling."

Jack shakily got onto his feet. "Well, this has been a day. Can you get me back to my place? I have to take care of my foot and _shoulder_ because _someone_ clawed me."

"I was excited and nervous," Rose defended. "Speaking of that, I need my ring back, Mum."

Jackie handed it over and hugged Pete's arm. "I kept mine. It's at home. Same flat as when we were first married. I never left."

He smiled. "I love that flat."

"Brilliant! We'll drop Jack at Cardiff, Jackie and Pete at the flat—if they'd like, and then it's time for the honeymoon…" the Doctor winked at Rose.

She blushed and pecked his cheek. "We're going to a planet called Barcelona. He's been meaning to take me there for ages."

"I have indeed. Well, c'mon! Everyone in the TARDIS!" the Doctor called as they crammed inside. "I took the Cyberpeople to a really nice planet in the future, so we won't have to worry about their mood swings. First stop is Cardiff. Hold on!"

They appeared in Jack's flat and helped him onto the couch. He hugged them both with a smile. "I'm so happy for you. Don't be strangers. I might like to catch an adventure with you at some point. Well, once the foot is all better. Sorry for being a bad best man."

The Doctor patted him on his sore shoulder unknowingly. He hid the wince fairly well. "You were fantastic, Jack. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome. I'll see you around."

They waved goodbye and started to head towards the Powell Estate. The TARDIS appeared in the living room of Jackie's flat, and Pete stepped out in amazement. "It hasn't changed much."

"Not really," Jackie agreed.

"Funny how this isn't my world, but it feels like home."

Rose embraced them both with tears in her eyes. "Bye, Mum. I'll call you soon, yeah? And bye, Dad. Or Pete. Whatever."

"Let's go with Dad."

She grinned and embraced him again. "Bye for now, Dad. Welcome home."

"See you soon," the Doctor promised. "…in-laws."

Pete and Jackie waved goodbye as the Doctor scooped Rose suddenly into his arms and ran into the TARDIS. She couldn't stop laughing as he set her down and shut the doors, darting to the console. "Time for us to go to Barcelona!"

"Why don't we just drift for a while?" Rose suggested with a mischievous smile.

He frowned. "You don't want to go straight to our honeymoon?"

"I do. That's the point."

She dropped the hideous gown to the floor and breezily stepped towards their room. He was very distracted when he spoke. "Right. Set to. Drift. Drifting is good. Very good."

He set the course and dramatically shed his coat and bow tie, chasing after her into their room. Three rounds later, they were relaxing to the super-radio the Doctor had installed. His fingers walked down her arm and she chuckled into his neck. "Now I don't have to worry about my soul for shagging out of wedlock."

"Oh yes. You were _such _a terrible person before for shacking up with likes of me, Rose Tyler. Or is that Mrs. Rose Tyler? Or Mrs. Doctor Rose Tyler? Or Mrs. Doctor? Hmm."

"Don't you have a last name I can use?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "No, I do not. It's just the Doctor. Like Cher."

"Fine, I'll just stick with Mrs. Rose Tyler. I like the sound of that. Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know that we just got married?"

His arms pulled her into his lap as she giggled. "No idea. None whatsoever. Are you sure it was me not someone else?"

"Check your left hand."

The Doctor looked at his finger and grinned. "A ring! Would you look at that? It's a bloody miracle we have them."

"Jack lost them how many times?"

"Twice. Then he went and broke his foot. Flew right off Aladdin. I didn't even notice, to be honest. I just assumed that he was being quiet. That should have been the giveaway right there. And what's this about your dress?"

"Mum thought it'd be fun to watch a film in our dresses, but she couldn't get her old one on. I had to unzip her before she suffocated and that's when she knocked me over. I spilled wine all over the dress. It couldn't be saved."

"Let us remember the dress in a moment of silence," he teased, causing her to whack his arm. "Ouch! I've married a husband beater."

"You have. It'll be a wedding no one will forget."

He nodded sadly. "Sorry it wasn't exactly right."

"Are you joking? It was perfect."

"Perfect?" he repeated strangely. "Our original plans were ruined, we were stuck in a banquet hall with a child minister, Cybermen showed up, Jack was…Jack, and your dress was ruined."

"Yeah. But I married you. That alone is perfect. Not to mention my dad coming back and marrying Mum all over again. It's just like when we were dating, Doctor. Things always went wrong, but it was always perfect _because _it's you and me. We're known for trouble. I hope that never changes. Married or not."

"It won't, Rose. We're not the average couple, so this isn't the average marriage. We live on a time traveling spaceship that's bigger on the inside with a pet horse. How will that ever get boring?"

She smiled and kissed him deeply. "It couldn't if we tried. Now, what's this about children?"

"Children? I don't recall mentioning…"

"You so did. I want three."

"Three? You want _three_? Tell me that's not all at once."

"Of course not. I'm not barmy. How many kids did you want?"

"Counting or not counting horses? Because clearly, if you get three children I get _at least_ two horses."

She laughed hysterically. "You and horses. I say it's a deal."

"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

A song came on the radio and she squealed excitedly, pulling him out of bed and into a naked dance. "I love this song! Ian Dury. Partial to your abracadabra. Enraptured by the joy of it all."

Rose sang along and the Doctor just smiled, going with it. Once it was over, he kissed her and put on a robe. "Get your things together! Our honeymoon awaits! And it will be perfect. Nothing is going to go wrong this time."

"You shouldn't have said that, Doctor. You really shouldn't."

He set the course and helped pack a bag. They reluctantly got dressed. She made sure that the horse had enough food and water while he gathered their things. "We have a reservation for three nights. I booked it myself while you were asleep about a week ago. Went in person as someone from some royal family. Anyway, my point is that we will have the nicest accommodations on the entire planet of Barcelona. You're going to love it, Rose. You really are."

It was simply stunning. She took his arm excitedly as they wandered the busy street towards their hotel. Once they got there, the Doctor stopped and stared. She stood next to him, also staring. Her hand went to her forehead. "Don't tell me."

"Okay."

"Is it—"

"You told me not to tell you."

She groaned. "Go on. Tell me."

"Our hotel is gone."

There was a large hole in the row of buildings, including a dip in the ground where the basement used to be. Faint markings seemed to indicate that the building had been pulled upwards by someone or something. The Doctor set the bags down and took out his sonic screwdriver, scanning the area for clues.

"Did someone take it?" Rose wondered.

"Oh yes. The building was abducted."

"So much for our honeymoon. Can we get a different hotel?"

"No. The rest were already booked."

"Of course they were. This is your fault for saying that things wouldn't go wrong."

He scoffed. "Please. It is not. Besides, it could be worse. It could be raining or we could be under alien attack."

She pointed to the sky where a large spaceship was firing lasers at a street over. "Alien attack."

"Huh. Maybe this was my fault. But, look on the bright side, Rose. Our honeymoon won't be boring either!"

The ship got closer and she started to walk backwards. "Running for our lives on our honeymoon? Not the traditional holiday."

"Exactly. That's why it's _our_ honeymoon. And it's already perfect. You and me. Together. Shall we, Mrs. Rose Tyler?" he extended his hand and she took it.

"Allons-y, husband!"

He grinned and they darted down the street with the ship in pursuit. They wouldn't have it any other way.

_**End**_

_A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. Had a bit of crisis in my personal life. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this silly story. If you haven't yet, you should read the first part to this called: Partial to your abracadabra. It chronicles their life as a dating couple. Thank you for your lovely reviews, follows, and favs. It means a lot to me. _


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